Launched in 2013, the PlayStation 4 leveled up Sony’s gaming capabilities considerably, competing with the Wii U and the Xbox One. Until the release of the PlayStation 5 in 2020, the console was Sony’s go-to gaming platform, thrilling millions of gamers worldwide. Many established properties were revamped for the new console, including several PlayStation exclusives released throughout the PS4’s lifespan. Even one generation later, there are some PS4 games that really exemplify what the console was all about while still retaining their appeal.
For the purposes of this list, we’re focusing on games that still haven’t been completely remastered for the PlayStation 5. All of these games are still backwards compatible with the PS5, but they haven’t been significantly revamped for the newer console. That makes them a true PlayStation 4 experience, optimized for that hardware rather than Sony’s subsequent platform. These are five PS4 games that still hold up today, each well worth revisiting or experiencing for the first time.
Infamous Second Son
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Before “Marvel’s Spider-Man,” the go-to open-world superhero game for PlayStation consoles was “Infamous,” with the gritty superhuman series starting on the PlayStation 3. When the franchise arrived on the PlayStation 4 with “Infamous Second Son” in 2014, it changed up who its protagonists were and the setting around them while raising the stakes for players.
Now set in Seattle after the events of the preceding game, new main character Delsin Rowe finds himself hunted by the government due to his burgeoning superpowers. Absorbing new powers as the game progresses, Delsin tries to protect his community from a particularly sadistic government official tasked with detaining super-powered individuals.
“Infamous Second Son” is a game from the 2010s nobody seems to talk about anymore, especially as the “Infamous” series has been dormant for over a decade. Taking advantage of the PS4’s technical capabilities, the game’s environments are more gorgeously rendered and packed with detail compared to its predecessors. The gameplay mechanics built around Delsin offer a more robust variety than previous protagonist Cole McGrath as well, keeping the experience fresh. We personally hope that Sony remembers and revives the “Infamous” franchise in some capacity, because “Second Son” felt like an engrossing new direction for the series.
Bloodborne
FromSoftware/Sony Interactive Entertainment
The soulslike genre officially got its start on the PlayStation 3 with the 2009 game “Demon’s Souls.” Developer FromSoftware continued to make acclaimed games within this challenging new genre into the subsequent generation of consoles, including the PS4-exclusive “Bloodborne.” The 2015 game doubled down on the creepy atmosphere that permeated through FromSoftware’s other soulslike titles, veering into outright horror. The game is set in a Victorian-era European city afflicted by a strange contagion that turns the infected into gruesome monsters, with the player character investigating the incident.
A delightfully melancholy experience, “Bloodborne” is packed with tragic details that draws players deeper and deeper into its narrative and world. The challenge is still definitely there, but in a way that isn’t quite as inaccessible as “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” or “Dark Souls II.” Though fans have been clamoring for a remaster for modern platforms for years, there is still a distinct charm to playing the game on the PS4. A darker and more macabre soulslike title, “Bloodborne” holds a special place in fans’ hearts. Still, only its PS4 version remains available, offered today through backwards compatibility on PS5.
Street Fighter V
After “Street Fighter IV” revived Capcom’s iconic franchise in 2009, the series made the leap to the PlayStation 4 with “Street Fighter V.” Released in 2016, the game holds an interesting place in the entire “Street Fighter” story, actually serving as a direct prequel to “Street Fighter III.” The game is also the first in the series to feature a dedicated story mode, albeit released months after its launch as a free DLC update. This was bolstered by arcade modes reflecting every era of the main series at that time and a revamped online multiplayer experience.
What may have been forgotten over time is that “Street Fighter V” was only officially released for the PS4 and PC, with no other home console getting the game. The game also experienced a rushed launch, but subsequent post-release support through regular updates and seasonal DLC improved the title tremendously. The action is solidly staged and the sheer number and variety of playable characters stands as a truly impressive feat and a sign of Capcom’s continued commitment. “Street Fighter V” was a game that fans hated at launch but love now, surviving and learning from its growing pains to become a rewarding installment in Capcom’s franchise.
Ratchet & Clank (2016)
Sony Interactive Entertainment
2016 saw the release of a “Ratchet & Clank” animated movie and, to commemorate the occasion, Insomniac Games released a tie-in game the same year for the PlayStation 4. Also serving as a reimagining of the original PlayStation 2 game, the 2016 title is a retelling of Ratchet meeting and befriending Clank, a war machine in Dr. Nefarious’ army. The duo contend with the traitorous Captain Qwark, the leader of an elite spacefaring squad secretly working with Nefarious. Armed with a growing arsenal of futuristic weapons, the pair move to stop this fiendish partnership, navigating sci-fi worlds with explosive platforming action.
The 2016 “Ratchet & Clank” breathes fresh life into the third-person shooter franchise by taking things back to the basics. The gags come in as fast as the high-octane set pieces while the game itself looks great running on the older PS4 hardware. In terms of gameplay, the platforming and shooting mechanics feel as intuitive as ever, with varied environments to avoid the feeling of monotony. The Sony franchise’s sole PlayStation 4 title, the 2016 “Ratchet & Clank” got a frame rate boost on PS5 but it still deserves a more substantial upgrade.
God of War (2018)
Sony Interactive Entertainment
The “God of War” series helped mark the transition from the PS2 to the PS3, offering epic hack-and-slash combat firmly rooted in Greek mythology. The game received a bold new direction with a 2018 PS4 title set over a century after where “God of War III” rests in the entire “God of War” timeline. Taking longtime protagonist Kratos to Scandinavia, the game reintroduced the sullen antihero as a single father, joined by his son Atreus on a journey to scatter his late wife’s ashes. This pits the father and son against the wider pantheon of Norse gods as Kratos reconciles with his violent past and his wife’s secret background.
Just when the ancient Greek setting of the series felt played out, “God of War” underwent a stunning transformation by transposing its premise to a completely different mythological pantheon. The gameplay has also been revamped to match this new setting and stage in Kratos’ life, with the warrior often relying on different weapons than his adventures in Greece. Also, by placing Atreus alongside his father and giving them a quest based on grief and love rather than vengeance, the whole experience feels more emotionally resonant than past titles. A rebirth for “God of War” that continues to inform the series nearly a decade later, the 2018 revival is a landmark title in the PlayStation 4 library.
